The 14 best colleges where graduates earn high salaries right away

Finding a high-paying job right out of school is the dream for most college graduates. One that pays a healthy, competitive salary? That's icing on the cake.

Luckily, there are a number of colleges in the US where graduates are pulling in high salaries early in their careers.

Business Insider recently released it annual list of the best colleges in America, which focused on graduation rate, post-graduation salary, and overall student life experience. (Read more about our methodology here.)

To find out where graduates earn the most early in their career, we looked at data from the Department of Education's College Scorecard and used the median salary of graduates six years after enrolling — two years after graduation, for most. Business Insider expanded its scope to include the top 100 colleges from our ranking, highlighting 14 schools where students earn at least $60,000 a year.

Read on to find out the 14 colleges where students earn the most early in their career.

14. Yale University

The second-oldest Ivy League school, Yale aims to provide students with a strong liberal-arts education. Its undergraduate college puts an emphasis on four areas — arts, sciences, international studies, and writing — and offers more than 70 majors, including astronomy, theater studies, and economics. It's also one of the hardest schools to get into, with an acceptance rate of just 6%.

13. Johns Hopkins University

Considered by US News & World Report to be one of the top medical research schools in the US, Johns Hopkins University offers 51 majors and 44 minors to its undergraduate students, including dance, economics, and philosophy. JHU doesn't have a core curriculum, allowing students to dive straight into their academic interests. Some of its best-known alumni include President Woodrow Wilson, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and film director Wes Craven.

12. Babson College

A leader in entrepreneurial education, Babson College equips students with the skills to innovate, experiment, and lead in the business world and beyond. The private college has produced numerous successful entrepreneurs in its nearly 100-year history, including Arthur Blank, the cofounder and former president of Home Depot who is the eponym of the college's on-campus entrepreneurship hub.

10. (TIE) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

The oldest technical research university in the US, Rensselaer Polytechnic is grounded by two principles: Help students apply science to everyday life, and use teaching methods not used in a typical classroom. RPI consists of five undergraduate schools and offers over 30 majors, but the school is heavily focused on engineering. RPI alumni have gone on to create inventions such as the floppy disk and the digital camera.

10. (TIE) Columbia University

The oldest university in the state, Columbia called several locations across New York City home after its founding in 1754 — including a schoolhouse adjacent to Trinity Church in the financial district and a 40-year occupation in Midtown — before settling into its iconic campus on 116th Street. Students who wish to continue their education past their undergraduate years can look to Columbia's renowned graduate programs in business, law, and journalism.

9. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

The science and engineering school was founded in 1865 with the educational mission to balance theory and practice. The Worcester Polytechnic Institute emphasizes project-based learning to help students put their knowledge to practice. Outside of engineering, WPI offers over 50 different programs, including biochemistry, economics, and nanoscience.

8. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the college’s 2,100 undergraduates can choose from 24 majors focused in science, math, and technology. Its average class size is about 20 students, allowing them to have a hands-on experience. RHIT also prepares its students for life after college with its LEAD Program — a series of workshops and speakers to help students develop leadership skills to pair with their newly learned technological skills.

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Located in the heart of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University carries on the traditions of Scottish founder and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Besides academic excellence, that also includes Pipes and Drums, a bagpipe-only band, and Kiltie Band, a quirky marching band that dons kilts for every performance. The school is also known for its top-notch engineering program, and offers majors in everything from chemical engineering to engineering and public policy.

5. Duke University

Duke University places an emphasis on research, providing students with numerous avenues to pursue projects through research grants, travel opportunities, and apprenticeships with distinguished professors — and more than half of its undergraduates take advantage. Upon graduation, Duke students join the ranks of notable alumni such as Melinda Gates, Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson, and former "Nightline" anchor Dan Abrams.

4. University of Pennsylvania

Founded in 1740, the University of Pennsylvania stands as one of the most selective schools in the US, accepting just 10.2% of applicants. During their time at UPenn, students can take advantage of the school's vast resources, including 6.38 million books, 1.16 million e-books, and 136 research centers and institutes, which are accompanied by an annual research budget of $878 million to boot.

3. Harvard University

Paul Marotta/Getty

Location:Cambridge, Massachusetts

Median salary six years after enrolling: $72,300

Synonymous with prestige since its founding 380 years ago, Harvard University remains one of the most respected schools in the world — and a degree from the college reflects that. Though Harvard's annual tuition (including fees and room and board) is a steep $60,659, nearly 70% of students receive some type of financial aid — thanks to the school's $37.6 billion endowment — trimming the average student's annual net cost to just over $14,000.

2. Stanford University

Known for the proliferation of technology companies spurred from students' time on campus, Stanford boasts top-notch computer science and engineering programs, with specialties offered in areas like atmosphere and energy as well as biomedical computation. The school's four-to-one ratio of students to teachers ensures that every student interacts closely with professors and receives personal attention.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

William B. Plowman/Getty Images

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Median salary six years after enrolling: $77,900

The country's most renowned engineering school, MIT sees 22% of undergraduates go on to pursue jobs in the field. Graduates secure positions at tech powerhouses such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Oracle. Even more impressive, the MIT community includes 85 Nobel laureates, 58 National Medal of Science winners, and29 National Medal of Technology and Innovation winners.